The Clippers and Paul George appear to still be in a stand-off, with his player option decision just three days away. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday morning (YouTube link), Brian Windhorst provided an update on where things stand with the star forward, who could pick up his option and push for a trade, opt out to become a free agent, or sign a new deal to remain in Los Angeles.
“I have been told that multiple teams out there are willing to trade for him and offer him the four-year max contract that he’s not currently being offered by the Clippers,” Windhorst said. “That means he’s got a set of options. But the question is, are the Clippers going to play ball with such a deal, or are they going to risk losing him for nothing if he can walk to a team like Philadelphia or Orlando?
“… At the end of the day, what I think he really wants to do is get that four-year max offer from the Clippers. They have not been willing to go there yet, especially after giving Kawhi Leonard just a three-year deal at less than the max. So this is really a bit of a stare-down right now. At the moment, at least it appears the Clippers (are) kind of calling a bluff from Paul George (about whether) he actually wants to leave his hometown.”
While an opt-in-and-trade scenario remains in play for George, one of his potential suitors likely took itself out of the running on Tuesday night, as the Knicks agreed to give up five first-round picks and a first-round swap in a deal for Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges. New York had frequently been mentioned recently as a team with potential trade interest in George.
The Warriors and Rockets are among the other clubs who have been linked to the 34-year-old, and Windhorst hinted during the most recent Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that Golden State could have a geographical edge.
“I’m not so sure Paul George really wanted to leave the West Coast,” Windhorst said in explaining why the Knicks are acquiring Bridges instead of pushing for George. “I think that was something that Philadelphia kind of ran into when they kicked the tires there.”
A report last week indicated that the Sixers‘ interest in pursuing George has “waned.” While there has been some push-back on that report in the days since then, Windhort stated on the Hoop Collective podcast that he thinks Philadelphia has “moved past the idea” of landing George, though he cautions that it’s not “dead” yet.
In the event that George opts in for 2024/25 and is traded to a new team, he would be able to sign a three-year extension worth up to a projected $171MM without having to wait six months, since the extend-and-trade rules will become more lenient beginning in July.
Taking into account his $48.8MM player option, that would put George in line to earn nearly $220MM over the next four seasons, which is more than the maximum four-year contract he could get if he signs with a cap-room team like the Sixers or Magic as a free agent this summer (such a deal would be worth a projected $212.2MM). Those $171MM and $220MM figures are based on the assumption that the salary cap will increase by the maximum allowable 10% in 2025.
Typically, the Clippers would have the option of going all the way up to five years for George, since they hold his Bird rights, but he can’t get a contract longer than four years this offseason due to the over-38 rule.
Anyone knows anything about the cap space knows its about impossible for the warriors to fit George under the cap space. It would take the Clippers of accepting CP3 and Wiggins in the deal. Why would the clippers want to make the warriors better? They wouldn’t but of course reporters will pretend many crazy deals.
Clippers don’t open up cap space if he leaves. So if the clippers take back Kuminga, moody, CP3, GP2, maybe a draft pick, they avoid losing PG13 for nothing. Trade could also be constructed with Wiggins/Paul and draft picks instead of Kuminga/Moody.
The clippers are the one team rich enough to pay repeater tax forever, so it’s smart to never lose a good player without getting guys in return.
Exactly why it makes no sense for the Clippers to trade George to GSW unless they are traded out the players they get for cap space.
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The clippers are the one team rich enough to pay repeater tax forever, so it’s smart to never lose a good player without getting guys in return.
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True until last year, but the new rules changed that. The league made sure no team, even the Warriors and Clippers, can ever go longer than 2 years in the 2nd apron, even if willing to pay $400M in penalties.
Repeat offenders also lose first round picks, the ability to use “exceptions” to pay non-minimum players, the ability to aggregate assets in trades, to do sign-and-trades, etc., etc.
In other words, the league made sure that repeat offenders will eventually have crappy rosters.
It makes no sense for GSW to give up Kuminga and Moody for an aging vet like PG13, they have said they would only move them for someone like Giannis…
PG13 for Wiggins, GP2, CP3 and a pick or two works just fine. Wiggins is a perfect change of scenery guy and other than CP3 the Clips could flip all those guys individually later on as well.
Making a rival better is a lesser concern than others, just ask the Brooklyn Nets. At this stage, there are 10 teams better than the GS in the West, notwithstanding.
Warriors will have enough cap space if they wave CP3 at $30M, which enables them to aggregate assets.
Not the same as Nets trade. Nets know they are not one of the top teams and need to rebuild. So are the clippers saying they are going to rebuild? I doubt that after resigning Leonard. Right now Clippers and Warriors are even in the west both needing to get better. So Clippers would want assets that make them better than what they are giving up. if the clippers want to contend a team like the Rockets who have young talent is where they should trade George to.
The position the nets are in didn’t stop them from trading with a regional/divisional opponent if it got them the best deal possible.
The clippers shouldn’t be hesitant to trade with warriors if it gets them the best deal possible.
In both situations knicks getting better doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best team in the east. Warriors getting better doesn’t mean they’re the best team in west.
warriors do not have the assets to over pay for George. That is what people do not understand Knicks had the assets and Bridges is a better player with a low salary is why Knicks over paid. George means wiggins and Klay is gone so they don’t get better but worse.
Think in this way
There are the 3rd team and 4th team involved.
For instant
Clippers get Ingram and Nance Jr
Warriors get George
Pelicans get Murray, salary filler
Hawks get 1 First from Pelicans, Kuminga, Moody, Chris Paul, salary filler
@arc89 but why does GSW have to “overpay” for George? If they are the only CA team who isnt the Clippers who wants him, he might request the deal there to stay in CA, at that point it becomes a dump-type deal. Wiggins, CP3 and GP2 get this done.
I just see Clippers could get better offers than CP3 and Wiggins.
@sillivan @arc89 What you are missing is that George. controls the situation, not the Clippers.
George has the right to agree, or not, to a sign-and-trade. He can say “trade me only to the Warriors or Philly, otherwise I will not take my option on the last year of this contract, and one year from now I’ll be an unrestricted free agent”.
George can effectively block a trade to ANY team making a great offer to the Clippers by saying if traded to that team he will not resign with them and, instead, wait another year to become unrestricted.
This is analogous to Chris Paul demanding to be traded from OKC to Phoenix 4 years ago.
The Clippers lost their leverage by failing to extend George this season.
Easy – The Nets made that deal because they’re fully committed to a rebuild. It doesn’t matter to them if the Knicks win 3 chips in a row because Brooklyn isn’t going to be competitive with even Play In level teams. The Clippers are currently in the middle of the most anti rebuild strategies in recent memory. Anyone in the already bloated West getting better is a problem for the Clips. Especially if they’re getting worse to allow these teams to get better.
Losing Paul George for nothing benefits the Clippers how?
They don’t have a say? Wtf are you talking about?
It’s called free agency. Clippers have no leverage, George has it all.
First, George can choose now to become an outright free agent. Clippers have no say in that decision. George walks, Clippers get nada if he does.
Second, the Clippers can’t trade George unless he agrees to opt in to an extension first. Clippers can’t make him do that.
There is only one scenario where Clippers have any leverage, and it’s small. If George wants to go to a team that doesn’t have enough cap space, there would have to be a sign-and-trade.
But no team will offer the Clippers a trade for George unless they first get George’s word that he will sign a new contract with that new team. So George holds all the cards.
We know that the Warriors and Rockets, and prolly others, have told George they’ll give him a 4 year max extension. We know that he’s told the Clippers he won’t re-sign for less.
The Clippers choices are to offer him the 5 year deal at the max, to let him walk, or to ask him what team to go to for a sign and trade.
Maybe other teams are helping George get his 4 yr max contract with the Clippers. At the same time, are the Warriors sending a messge to Klay??
Nah more that a sport writer is making something up to promote himself.
Warriors are going to do something big this offseason. I can feel it. Curry, Dray, Kerr, Lacob all want to stay relevant and be a contender next 2 yrs. Regardless if it works or not, Lacob is one unbelievable owner. Who will it be: 1) Paul George 2) Butler 3) KD 4) Mitchell 5) Markkanen 6) LBJ 7) etc
they will bring in a foreign player with skills. The Bridges trade just made all other trades more expensive. The other thing is moving up and getting a center in the draft.
If they dont waive CP3, we know a big trade is coming.
i am praying CP3 is gone. CP3 has no reason to delay his free agency as a favor to the warriors.
Ahhh yes. A big trade that makes another team pay the ghost of the Point God 30 million dollars. Who could possibly turn that offer down?!??
Trading kuminga wouldn’t be wise. They need to do something extreme. Wiggins contract looks terrible now that he went back to Minnesota wiggins. Dray is regressing hard. Curry cant carry the load like he has and is nothing on defense. The front office hasn’t done much great moves after the last championship. Hopefully they strike gold. Have a hard time thinking any vet wants to go to a place that was barely a play in and about 15 nba teams have a better outlook.
Agree on ALL.
I am very disappointed with new office.
Dray is actually improving hard, not regressing? Did you not watch him play last year? He had his best overall season since 2018. He shoots now!
This take is pure you HOPING he is regressing (also regressing to what?) and nothing about that is based in facts.
They’ll probably try and fill that gaping hole they’ve had at C forever . There are a few that have been widely rumored to be available.
Markanen , Kessler, Jarret Allen , Goga, etc.
CP3 for Brook Lopez works perfectly tbh
Easier said than done. They’re stuck.
Trade Chris Paul and Santos for a veteran starting C and a C prospect. Maybe on a two way find Steph’s successor (PG)for the future. This is easy Kerr. Mike has drafted well so far
There’s also the possible angle that the Warriors are throwing their name out there as willing to give Paul George the max extension so then the Clippers will do exactly that and tie their roster up with oft injured players for a few years?
It hasn’t worked out for them The Last 5 Years so it would be sweet to write the clippers off after signing Leonard and George to all this big money.
The Warriors I’m sure are after a little more reasonable contracts yet guys who can contribute to winning. This entire thing could be a smoke screen.
Much the same as the idea that Steve Kerr “desperately wants Klay Thompson back.” Smokescreen and Optics and respect for Klay’s contributions for the last dozen years.
I think Pgs agent is the one spreading this
George doesn’t want to leave , Ballmer knows it but can’t get too comfortable- Leverage games , I see Paul George getting the 4 th year w Clips